| “ | '"We barely escaped from her clutches this time... It's clear now why she hunts us, Kuro is just protecting her child!"' | „ |
| —Sein to Ori after escaping Kuro's Nest and the Forlorn Ruins |
Kuro's Nest is a location within the Forlorn Ruins that serves as a home to Kuro, her Egg, and formerly, her Owlets. It is here where Ori discovers the motive behind Kuro's seemingly unexplained fury in a heart-wrenching flashback.
Blind Forest / Definitive Edition
- Warning! Spoilers ahead.
After Ori and Sein escape the collapsing Forlorn Ruins after rekindling the Element of Winds, the winds guide them to the secluded Nest. Cradled amongst the dry grass and sticks is an egg many times larger than the Ori, who tentatively reaches out to touch its shell. At the Spirit's touch, it shines with white light, allowing Ori to learn why Kuro blinded the forest.
The flashback recounts the night of the Light Ceremony, when the Spirit Tree called out to Ori. During the moments before the Spirit Tree's unanswered plea was set in motion, Kuro was busy feeding her three hungry children glowing caterpillars. She flew away from the nest briefly to catch more food, just when the thunderous light ignited from the heart of the Spirit Tree, flooding even to the far reaches of Nibel.
The light eventually found its way into Kuro's Nest, and Kuro didn't notice the creeping illumination until too late. Being creatures of darkness, the light made short work of the Owlets, quickly killing them before Kuro could return. Fueled by love and revenge, Kuro soared off in the direction of the Spirit Tree, ready to avenge her dead children and protect her unhatched egg.
As if on cue, the great owl herself appears at the Nest, enraged to find Ori and Sein near her precious egg. She swoops at them just as Ori jumps off of the nest's ledge, falling back down to the frozen entrance of the ruins and forcing them to hide while Kuro hunts them mercilessly. After escaping her mad attack, Sein exclaims that all along Kuro was just protecting her last child, but urges Ori onward.
Area Soundtrack
During the cutscene
Trivia
The path to Kuro's Nest, blocked by debris in the Definitive Edition
- Although the Forlorn Ruins can be accessed again in the Definitive Edition of the game after rekindling the Element of Winds (by either using the Spirit Well warping or destroying the boulder Kuro causes to fall during her hunt), Kuro's Nest itself remains locked away as the path to the Element is blocked by rubble.